


Perhaps The Apple Does Fall Far From The Tree

by lostinfayt



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bullying, Dysfunctional Family, Kids can be cruel, a true stroy, deeper meaning, mental health
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-06-02 09:06:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6560389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinfayt/pseuds/lostinfayt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young girl with a heavy burden on her shoulders. She's uncommonly compassionate with a craving for emotional comfort from the loss of attention after her parents' divorce. The separation left her with both physical and mental scars. Constantly afraid of herself and what her mind is slowly warping into as her symptoms progress over time, she seeks comfort in  her friendly hallucinations. She finds herself often in need of guidance when her strong values of justice and fairness get in the way. Alice is clumsy and easily flustered, making her seem soft spoken and timid. But rest assured she sure packs a punch. As she grows up, Alice will learn what it means to fit into society, while being herself. She runs through obstacles of what would happen if a large part of her is taken away and how to deal with adults who act like children. While alone to the eye of a "normal" person, Alice seeks out what it truly means to find comfort in being yourself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Each His Own

I sniffled, taking shaky steps backwards until my back hit the wall in the far corner of my bedroom. The air around me was filled with a horrible thickness, making it feel as if it was suffocating me. I covered my ears with my small, trembling hands, hoping to block out the harsh cacophony of noise. The sound was so overwhelming that my knees buckled from underneath of me and slowly made me slide against the wall to the ground. I screwed my eyes shut, trying hard to keep myself calm as I drowned in the sea of sound. Only at times like this was I grateful that Daddy let me stay home from school. If I had an episode like this during school, I would end up hurting myself… or perhaps someone else.

“H-help…” I whimpered out, pulling my knees into my chest, as if trying to fold in on myself and disappear.

“And what would you like help with, little one?” A deep, resonating voice asked.

I instinctively tensed up at the sound of the voice, frightened as to why the voice could be heard over all of the commotion. I concluded that the person who the voice belonged to was powerful, and if it got bad, this person could have the power to really hurt me. Terrified, I could feel my shoulders begin to shake. Slowly building up the courage to shift my gaze to investigate who the mysterious voice belonged to, I suddenly found myself locking eyes with a pair of ocean blue ones that were unfamiliar to me. I froze. My whole body went stiff, as if I was a corpse with rigour mortis. 

A stranger. A young man actually, maybe late twenties, kneeling before me. He had shaggy dark brown hair and tan skin, a light amount of stubble dotting his cheeks and chin. But despite that, he was well dressed in a finely tailored suit and scarf. Black thick rimmed glasses sat upon his nose and he wore a pair of black high top converse, making his outfit stand out just a bit more with his obscure fashion tastes. 

“Wh-who are you…?” I managed to choke out. 

“Me?” The man inquired. “I’m Doctor Joseph Pierce.”

At hearing he was a doctor, my tense shoulders relaxed into their usual slump, but I could still feel my hands trembling against my chest. 

“A doctor? Why are you here? Did Daddy call you?” I badgered the man with my questions, still confused and wanting answers. 

“I’m here because you asked for help.” Joseph Pierce answered. 

“That’s a vague answer, Dr. Pierce.” I replied.

“Please, call me Joseph, Alice.” Joseph stated with a soft smile. 

“Right… Joseph. W-well, um, I don’t think you can help me. Pl-please leave.” I say, placing my hands back over my ears. A soft hiccup escapes my lips as tears prick the corners of my eyes, the sea of sound growing in density and drowning me. My breath started to come out in soft pants, as if I really was sinking below the surface of a body water.

“Alice… Shhh. Stop that, look at me. You’re going to have a panic attack.” Joseph said sternly. 

Joseph’s expression grew serious and he moved to place his hands over top of mine, which were still trying to cover my ears. My eyes snapped up to meet Joseph’s, he's full of concern and care. I could see my reflection in the ocean he called his eyes, only his ocean wasn’t threatening or scary. But it didn’t calm, my reflection informed me of my terrified expression. I shut my eyes at the sight, too scared to face the reality. 

“Alice, stop. Don’t be scared. Focus. Don’t be afraid of the noise. Just listen. Focus on the sound of my voice. Shhh, they can’t hurt you.” Joseph spoke seriously, gently shaking me to draw my attention. 

I hesitated before I did as he said. I let my eyes open slowly, locking them once more with Joseph’s. My breath hitched in my throat and my heart was thumping so loud in my chest I was sure it would beat straight into silence. But I didn’t break eye contact with Joseph. I let my fingers entangle with Joseph’s, gently squeezing them through my panic. Joseph talked softly still, my head feeling dizzy as it tried to focus on just his voice. But it was like the lunchroom at school; too many sounds at the same time. I gasped softly for breath before Joseph squeezed my hands back this time, drawing me back to his attention. I blinked once, twice, swallowing hard, the lump in my throat seeming to block my lungs from gathering the air it needed. I listened to him count softly, matching 1 with an intake of breath, then 2 with an exhale. Slowly but surely, my breath returned to a normal breathing pattern, the noise dying down in the background as I focused on Joseph. Joseph’s expression broke with a crooked smile as he saw my tense muscles relax. He let out a shaky laugh and ran his fingers through my hair, the calming motion making me sigh in relief. Suddenly, I realized I was sitting in almost complete silence. The only sound that could be heard was my breathing and Joseph’s soft chuckles. 

Silence… Quiet. I didn’t think I could ever achieve that again. I thought it was gone. never again would I hear something so sweet as this, or there lack of. My frightened expression was shattered under my smile as I realized that Joseph’s method had helped me. Joseph had somehow managed to bring it all to a grinding halt.

“See? What did I tell you?” Joseph said with a cocky smile.

“You stopped it… How?” I asked, utterly stunned.

“You sure ask a lot of questions, little one.” Joseph remarked.

“That’s what kids do.” I stated simply. “And I’m not little. I’m six and a half.”

I slowly stood up, using the wall to help myself balance. I dusted off my shorts and extended my hand out to Joseph. He smiled and straightened to his full height, his larger hand engulfing mine as he went to shake hands with me. 

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Joseph Pierce.” I say with a cheeky smile.

“The pleasure is mine, Alice Dmitriyevich.” Joseph replied, flashing me the same smile he had plastered on his face.

“Will you help me with my project?” I asked. “I’m off from school today and have four more hours to play before Daddy gets home.”

“I would be honored to help you.” Joseph said, giving a mock bow.

And within a few minutes, the two of us were seated at my arts & crafts table, glitter dusting the edges of my poster board, glue sticks uncapped, and markers pressed into flat nubs. 

It was the next morning that I was supposed to present my homemade poster to my first grade class. As a class, my teacher was trying to teach the chores around the home. Like washing your hands before dinner, eating dinner together, and making your bed, etc. But never once did she mention the variation in a family. So when I presented my poster, Lauren Leak opened her big mouth and told the whole class that the very well drawn picture, if I don’t say so myself, of my family couldn’t possibly be a family. 

“A family has to have a mommy and daddy. You only have one, so that’s not a family.” She said smartly.

“My daddy says we don’t need a mommy to have a family. We also have a goldfish.” I said, my confidence faltering slightly. 

I was so excited to present this morning. Joseph had helped color last night and I even stayed up past my bedtime by six whole minutes to finish dotting everyone’s eyes with sequents to make them pretty. But in came Lauren, bringing my whole world down.

“Well  _ my  _ family has a mommy, a daddy, a brother, and  _ two _ dogs.” Lauren stated. “And your daddy’s wrong. Of course you need a mommy.”

“No you don-”

“Alright, Alice. Good job presenting. You may have a seat.” My teacher said with her signature sweet smile, gesturing for me to take my seat. 

Though it didn’t seem all that sweet now.


	2. Chairs Aren't Just For Sitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Children are NOT nice and Alice gets a first hand experience in what that truly means. Take note that there is a scuffle and there will be mild violence between two young students. Be forewarned.

“ _ Joseph!! _ ”

The soft pitter patter of my shoes against the pavement echoed softly around me as I ran. My hair had gotten so much longer since that first day I met Joseph. It fluttered behind me in thick curls as I ran as a result, which had been a desire of mine since I learned that I didn’t have to cut it. My father preferred that I keep my hair short, but he said it was my decision since I was older now.  

“Alice, Don’t run you’ll-” I heard Joseph start to scold already, which was abruptly cut off by a loud thump and me ungracefully tripping and falling flat on my face. 

“You’ll fall…” Joseph finished his sentence.

I bit my bottom lip and I whimpered as I tried to hold back the tears that pricked the corners of my eyes. Joseph always liked to call me a cry baby since I cried so easily, and I was sure today would be no exception. I didn’t even bother sitting up. I just whimpered and sniffled, still face down on the floor. But a soft sigh of exasperation and two strong arms looping around me was a reason for me to believe that Joseph would not be making fun of me today. I wiped at the tears that slipped down my cheeks, little whimpers and sobs escaped my lips as Joseph dusted off the front and back of my dress. He wore a concerned expression on his face as he checked me out for any scrapes and bruises. Luckily, I was injury free. 

"Don't run on rough pavement, Alice." Joseph said, scolding me lightly. 

 "But I was excited to see you." I replied, wiping the last of my tears on the back of my hand. 

 "And why's that?"

"Because I've made three new friends at school. Their names are Sage, Sasha, and Shay!"

 Joseph smiled as his expression softened.

“Fifth grade is an important year to make friends.” He said. 

He adjusted our position so that his back was leaning against the wall of my house and I was sitting in his lap properly. He knew far better than to interrupt me. He I just smiled and gave the occasional nod as I babbled on and on. I must have ranted for forever and day since by the time I was finished, it was dinner time. Joseph helped me with my nightly routine, tucking me in carefully after I had brushed my teeth for two minutes and forty-three seconds. Tomorrow was a new day at school and I couldn't wait.

          Tomorrow just didn't seem to come quick enough for me. My morning routine was raced through and I ended up being ten whole minutes early for my bus. Daddy hadn't minded since it usually took me an hour and a half to get ready. He fixed my coat and hat before he waved me off, watching me walk down to the corner of the block from the kitchen window. Joseph seemed comforted by how excited I was to go back to school after my presentation. School wasn't an easy place for me to fit in. Something about the way people talked to me sounded different than the way they talked to others. But that's all changed now that I was friends with the three most beloved girls in my class. Their names all started with 'S' so they called themselves the  Sugar Stars . Everyone thought they were so cool. Though… I have to admit the name sounds a little lame.

         "Sage! Shay! Sasha!" I called out to the three blondes as I spotted them when entering the classroom. 

         They all turned their heads at the same time and then offered me a cluster of morning greetings. I happily joined them at their table, pulling up my favorite red chair. It was my favorite because it was the only colorful one in the classroom. The others were grey. And I really liked the chair’s bright shade. They made room for me and then started to chat away about how Sasha had convinced her mommy to get her a puppy. She said she wanted a white poodle so she could brush its hair and stick bows in it. I asked her if I could pet it if I came over, she said that it would be alright. But she would have to ask her mom first before I came over. I thought that was fair. But soon... Things wouldn't be fair anymore.

         A month into my friendship with the Sugar Stars, things just didn't seem right. I was always made to throw everybody's trash out during lunch. Even Sage's smelly tuna fish leftovers. And every time we played house, I'd have to be the dog. Or if we played tea party, I'd have to play the maid and maids don't talk unless they’re spoken to. They weren't fun roles and I wasn't very fond of playing like that. Eventually, instead of playing with them during recess, I'd sit under the big maple tree in the center of the yard and draw in a coloring book. Mrs. Bolts, my fifth grade teacher, kept plenty of them in her desk drawer for kids who weren't too fond of running around. But abandoning the Sugar Stars apparently wasn't allowed. Once you were in, you’re in for good. I started to receive mean notes in my cubby. The notes were written on small pink flower shaped post-it notes with glittery gel pen. It wasn't too hard to figure out who had written them. Things in my desk started to go missing: pencils, homework, class assignments. By the last semester of school, my carefree attitude and optimistic perception had boiled away and had become rotten, peeling away like old paint. I was bitter and I scowled at everything. I isolated myself from the other kids and festered in my frustration alone at my desk. And today was the straw would break the camel's back.

“Oh. My. Gosh, Alice. Are you really staying inside to read a  _ book _ instead of going out for recess?”

The minute those words processed in my mind, I knew exactly whose shrill voice that was. Sage. My body shuddered with disgust, my eyes narrowed so I could continue to focus on the words in front of me. They were much more interesting than their teasing. While their teasing had gotten worse in the last week, a bit of hateful graffiti on my notebooks and not-so-gentle shoves in the hallway, wasn’t anything a tough girl like me couldn’t handle. 

“What’s wrong? Don’t enough have enough brain to realize it’s rude to ignore someone?” Sage said, slamming a heavy hand down on my desk.

My body instinctively tensed up, surprised at the sudden loud noise. I tried to keep my nose buried in my book, but as her other hand slammed down right next to my elbow, my eyes snapped up to meet her’s. Seeing that she had won my attention, a devious smile warped her previous expression. 

“That’s more like it.” Sage said, pulling Sasha besides her as if to surround me. “So tell me, what’s so interesting about this book anyway? It can’t  _ really _ be that good to miss recess.”

I didn’t respond. I let my eyes wander back to the page at hand, only able to get  through about half a sentence before Sasha interrupted me. 

“She asked you a question!” She said as she jostled my desk.

I offered the three girls that now surrounded the front of my desk a death glare rivaled to that of a predator in the jungle. Honey brown eyes that once held sparkles from reflections of the bright sun were now devoid of light and held  the darkness from the empty side of the moon.

"And I don't want to answer." I replied simply.

This clearly aggravated Sage and she moved to grab the book from my hands before I could stop her. She held it over her head and craned her thin neck to look up at the words. She gave a disgusted look.

"This is stupid. Half of this stuff doesn't even make sense." She commented.

"Give that back." I said.

"No."

My hands gripped at the edge of my red chair so hard that my knuckles turned white, which occupied any urges as my mind started to race.

"I asked you to give it back." I repeated.

"And I said no. Maybe I'll just have to get rid of it so you'll play with us again." Sage pretended to think aloud, tapping her finger to her lips in mock thoughtfulness.

Sage flipped to one of the pages of my book, tracing it with a finger before she took hold of the corner and tore it out from the spine. The dull ripping sound echoed throughout the empty classroom, creating a sharp edge to the ambiance.

"Stop." I say, my teeth starting to clench.

My hands and jaw ached with being so tense. Even the smooth surface of my chair started to seem irritating.

"You should do it again." Sasha suggested with a cackle.

As another page fell from my book onto the floor, now contaminated with hatred, a voice filled my head. One I was all too familiar with. The futility of resisting overwhelmed my mind.

**_Do it._ **

_No. I don't want to._ But as the voice inside my head began to swirl around, slowly slipping down to my neck, twisting around and around and pulling tight, my breath became shallow. A sharp pain rises from the base of my spine and the impulse grows stronger.

_**Hurt her.** _

And just like, in that instance, my resolve was gone. My favorite red chair slid back with a screech as I stood up slowly. I was much smaller than the three girls who had me surrounded. But at this moment, I seemed at least six feet tall with sharp, pointy teeth and fangs.

"Give my book back." Was my last warning.

"No way, you idiot!" Sage shouted.

My hands came up to shove the brat to the ground. She stumbled back and fell with a soft thud. She looked over at Sasha and Shay for help, but the glare I sent over my shoulder kept them frozen in place.

"You pushed me!? I'm gonna tell on you!" Sage said, moving to get back up. 

I used my foot to kick her back down, pinning her to the floor.

"Go ahead.Try." I mock.

“You freak! Get off of me!"

Gone. Gone was all my judgement and reality, slipping from my hands like water through a drain. I didn't even glance back over my shoulder nor did I give a second thought as my hand reached over to take hold of my chair. The bright red color feeling quite appropriate to my anger. I dragged it out in front of me and swung it from the side to hit Sage. She cried out in pain. She tried crawling away but I swung the chair again like a baseball bat, knocking her across the room into several other desks.

**_Good. Again._**

"With pleasure." I said, dragging the dented chair behind me.

The chair squeaked and bumped along the tile as I dragged it behind me, the sound leaving a heavy and eerie sound to sit in the atmosphere with a profound dreadfulness to it. Shay and Sasha were holding on to each other, as if it would save Sage. Pathetic. This was their fault. They started it.

"You're freaking crazy!"

I raised the chair over my head and brought it down several times. Each time sounded off with plastic harshly striking skin. Cries of pain and gasps echoed after each strike and an expression of triumph graced my lips. Sage had curled up in on herself, trembling like a leaf in the wind. Her nose was bleeding and she was soaking her pretty pink shirt with tears.

"Pl-please...stop it." Sage implored.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"What? You want me to stop? You should have thought about that before you called me a freak." I said, a twisted smile crossing my expression.

"W-we just wanted you to play with us." Sage protested.

"Then I suggest you think about how you treat friends." I say, dropping my chair to the ground, letting it clatter loudly.

T he chair is dented in several different places and is probably no longer usable. I was almost sad for it. It had been my favorite chair in the classroom and now it was just trash. 

"But I'll spare you, Sage. You have the same face as my best friend. The one who invited me to sit at their table and included me in all of their games." I say. "But you're not her anymore. My best friend wouldn't make me run errands for her or call me bad names. This is your punishment. I hope you've learned your lesson."

I kicked the chair away from me, and I watched it slide all the way to the other end of the classroom before finally falling apart. My shiny black Mary Janes left soft pitter patter noises as I walked to exit the classroom. I pulled the door closed behind me, then rested my back against it as I sighed sharply. That's when my eyes locked with Joseph's. Had he seen?

"Alice... You're shaking and crying." He stated, his arms outstretched towards me.

He had.

"Come here, little one."

I instantly ran into his arms, burying my face into his broad chest as I cried. My small frame trembled and shook as I clung to him.

 


End file.
